


Winter Sun

by Andramion



Series: Cuddlebuddies [4]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Family Interaction, Gen, M/M, also natsu defs grows to be taller than shouyou, gimme awkward gangly preteen natsu, its fluff as always what did you expect, ive been wanting to write about kenma with hinatas parents for ages, this is me making that dream come true
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-12
Updated: 2017-02-12
Packaged: 2018-09-23 16:27:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9665465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Andramion/pseuds/Andramion
Summary: He’s never travelled north for the winter, and he definitely wouldn’t have been going to a place even colder than Tokyo is in winter, if it hadn’t been for this:Shouyou’s soft mumbling, the sighing breaths he lets out in his sleep. Shouyou leaning against him, slumped in his seat after being pulled into slumber by the rocking of the train. Shouyou in general really, as if he hasn’t been the reason behind most of the things Kenma had never thought he would do.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bibbidibobbididette](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bibbidibobbididette/gifts).



There’s something about snow.

Ever since he was a little kid, Kenma’s never really liked winter, or summer, or any kind of weather or temperature extremes, but _snow…_

Something about snow makes his dislike melt away.

Outside, here on the countryside, the snow is piling up. It’s hard to guess exactly how much of it is blanketing the fields with the speed they’re racing by, but it’s a lot. More than Kenma’s ever seen before.

He’s never travelled north for the winter, and he definitely wouldn’t have been going to a place even colder than Tokyo is in winter, if it hadn’t been for this:

Shouyou’s soft mumbling, the sighing breaths he lets out in his sleep. Shouyou leaning against him, slumped in his seat after being pulled into slumber by the rocking of the train. Shouyou in general really, as if he hasn’t been the reason behind most of the things Kenma had never thought he would do.

Things like: lugging cardboard moving boxes up two flights of stairs, painting his entire apartment a creamy white to make it seem larger, freeing space in his closet and actually maintaining a sleep schedule with only a little bit of help, discovering a taste of home that isn’t his parents’ place.

Things like: sitting in front of Shouyou’s parents, nerves bringing him past a slight tremor in fidgeting hands to a stillness taking over his entire body, taking a deep breath along with Shouyou and saying – finally – what’s been weighing on his mind for so, so long.

Things like: screaming without any regard of the neighbours, actually raising his voice and making himself heard, not caring about the tears gathering in his eyes because this is the _first time_ he’s wanted to not let go of things this badly.

Things like: having Natsu staying over during Christmas, realising he really doesn’t know how to take care of a eleven-year-old on her first time in the city, seeing Shouyou take care of things so easily, so naturally, that it makes something glow warm inside him, makes him not just watch and analyse, but _learn_.

And now, it seems, seeking out the cold and bringing Natsu home have been added to that list.

Right now, though, the cold is kept away from him by double glass windows and Shouyou radiating heat, like an electric blanket draped over him.

The train ride has been pleasant so far, even if he hadn’t enjoyed waiting around for half an hour at their last transfer station. There had only been a small shelter right in the middle of the platform, nothing like the larger Tokyo stations Kenma is used to. Now, they’re on the last stretch and even Natsu’s fallen asleep. No matter how much she insists she’s smarter than her brother, Kenma’s always amazed by how much these siblings are alike.

The announcement for the next stop makes Kenma look up from the white world outside. Instead, he reads the directions overhead: just two more stops and then they’ll arrive. Thirty-five minutes. He pulls his phone from his pocket and types out a message.

To: mum  
We should be there in less than an hour. The trip’s been good.

As soon as he sends it, he copies the message and sends it to Kuro too.

He surprises himself when, instead of starting a game or something else to pass the time, he puts his phone away and leans his cheek against Shouyou’s hair.

He can see their reflections in the window, if he looks a little harder and doesn’t focus on the world outside. Natsu lying down over the entire bench, an extra sweater tucked under her head and her coat draped over her, him and Shouyou an abstract blob of a figure. He hadn’t realised how relaxed he’d been.

He’s never been this comfortable while travelling.

The train slows to a stop as they come into the next station, and a small group of elderly women entering nods and smiles at Kenma when he’s too late to look away. For a second, he imagines himself raising a finger to his lips, gesturing for the ladies to be quiet, in that casual, charming way he’s seen Kuro do so many times.

The women settle down a few rows behind them, softly chatting away about who-knows-what and the sound is just the right kind of background noise to pull at Kenma’s consciousness too. It doesn’t help that the train’s direction has turned slightly, making the watery winter sun fall on Kenma’s face.

Someone has to stay awake though, so Kenma sits up a little straighter, carefully moving Shouyou around so he’s leaning into his side, Kenma’s arm around his back. For a while, he just looks at Shouyou’s long eyelashes, at Natsu’s long limbs spread out over the bench, barely fitting it anymore, at the leafless trees outside, blanketed in white.

Then, as their stop is announced, he pinches Shouyou’s side and gets up to put a hand on Natsu’s shoulder.

“Ow, Natsu, that’s mean,” he hears behind him, and he bites his lip not to let out a laugh.

“Natsu, we’re almost home,” he tells her, shaking her a little and watching her eyebrows draw together. “Natsu, wake up.”

From over his shoulder, Shouyou looks at Natsu too.

“I know it was you who pinched me,” he says into Kenma’s ear, pressing a soft kiss against his cheek. Then he turns his attention to his sister. “Natsu, up you go, we’re here. If you don’t get up we’ll leave you on the train.”

With a huff, Natsu sits up so fast Kenma nearly falls onto his ass, but he’s saved by his elbows catching on the seat behind him. He blinks a few times as he watches Natsu push her hair out of her face.

“Fine,” Natsu says, with a glare at her brother. “You know, I love you and all, but can’t you ever wake me up _nicely_ like Kenma-san was trying to do.” She stuffs her sweater into her backpack and clicks it shut.

“Just Kenma will do,” Kenma mutters, though he’s been telling her to drop the honorifics for years now. He doesn’t have to look up to know Shouyou’s sticking his tongue out at her.

“It doesn’t count,” Shouyou says, “when you’re already awake.”

The train halts at the station before they know it and with the siblings’ bickering, they have to hurry to drag all their stuff out of the wagon in time. The cold outside is a shock to Kenma’s pleasantly warm skin, prickling at his eyes and nose until he adjusts.

His phone chimes on their way across the platform, just as Kenma is pulling his gloves out of his coat pockets. For a moment he considers just not looking at the message, but curiosity gets the best of him. With red fingers, he unlocks his screen.

From: mum  
Hi Kenma. Let me know when you’re there. Say hello to the Hinatas for me. xxmum

From: Kuro  
I was on time to get your package, it’s on the breakfast table. Plants have been watered, and I’m taking Kiku with me. I’ve got a heat pack in the cage so he doesn’t get cold on the way to the car.

He can picture Kuro rummaging around his and Shouyou’s apartment, their cockatiel sitting in his hair. Kiku’s always loved Kuro, and Kuro loves that Kiku loves him. Kenma hasn’t had the heart to tell him it’s probably because his hair’s a bird’s nest.

Kenma catches Shouyou looking at him when he’s putting on his gloves. Natsu’s running ahead, not taking the possibility of a slippery surface into account in true Hinata fashion, but Shouyou’s kept walking at Kenma’s pace. His face is unreadable, his expression nothing but focussed.

“Kuro’s taking Kiku,” he says, just to say something, and Shouyou’s face slips back into the warm smile Kenma knows so well.

“I’ll text him thanks later,” he says, reaching out to catch Kenma’s hand. Their fingers lace together for a moment, before they both think better of it. It feels weird and uncomfortable with their gloves on. Shouyou still gives his hand a little squeeze.

“I’m excited to be here,” he says his breath a white cloud of fog in front of him. “It’ll be good to see mum and dad again.”

Kenma nods. At the end of the platform, he spots Natsu attacking her dad with a hug, Shouyou’s dad giving an awkward little wave at the two of them when he frees one of his arms. Kenma waves back at them.

It hardly takes any time for them to reach the others too. Shouyou’s mother calls their names and watches their held hands with a smile, and Shouyou pulls Kenma down a little again to kiss his cheek.

“Remind me to tell Kuroo-san to let Kiku fly?” he asks, but he doesn’t wait for Kenma to reply before he lets go to hug his parents. Kenma can see how his dad’s hold tightens just the slightest bit before he steps back and looks at Shouyou. He can’t help but feel a little guilty for being the reason they don’t see each other as often.

“Glad to have you here, Kenma-kun,” Shouyou’s mother says before she spreads her arms. “Can I?” she asks and Kenma nods before stepping up to her. She’s small, smaller than Shouyou, but with the tight hug she’s giving him, Kenma hardly even notices the icy wind.

Now that he’s thought about it though, he shivers.

“Oh,” Shouyou’s mother cries out, laughing a little as she lets him go, patting him on the arm a few times. “Let’s get you to the car, come on, come on. It’ll be a tight squeeze but we can’t have you freeing here out at the train station. Come on.”

All twenty minutes in the car, they’re interrogated by a set of parents unable to hold their curiosity, wanting to know how the trip’s been; how are you doing at school, Shouyou; how’s life in Tokyo; are your Master’s classes going alright, Kenma; how long are you two staying; what do you want for dinner; was Natsu good at your place?

Kenma’s happy to let Shouyou answer most of the questions, though he contributes a few words here and there, laughs softly at Natsu’s objections ( _of course I was good, what kind of question was that, mum_ ). Kenma still marvels at the warmth and closeness of this family, every time he meets them, and he feels like he’s buzzing all the way to the house, not calming down until they’re sitting around the kotatsu, toasty warm and a cup of tea cradled in each set of hands.

Even then, he feels a little restless. It’s not a bad restless, not bad at all. It kind of feels like he could take on the world if these people believe in him.

Through the glass behind the bit of space where the curtains don’t close, Kenma can see the snow piling up higher than he’s ever seen – at least forty centimetres of it already. But instead of thinking of the cold, Kenma watches the flakes form a blanket of cotton, the sunset dipping everything outside into a haze of red and pink.

The snow outside, he thinks, doesn’t make him feel cold anymore. It’s quieted down the whole world, reduced it to this small living room, with all these warm people and their smiles.

And it’s not so bad to travel north.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Please leave me a comment, your words make my day!


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